How Reproduction Occurs??

A general understanding of the reproductive process, particularly fertilization and ovulation, will help as you prepare for pregnancy. Knowing how your body works will help you identify the time in your menstrual cycle when you are most fertile.

The Menstrual Cycle

A women’s fertility revolves around her menstrual cycle. Each month her ovaries produce an egg. The uterus is prepared for pregnancy by development of a thick lining in which the egg will grow if it is fertilized. If the egg isn't fertilized, the lining is shed during the menstrual period and the cycle begins again.

The changes that take place in the menstrual cycle are caused by hormones-substances normally produced by the body to control certain functions:

* Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) are produced by the pituitary gland (a small organ located at the base of the brain) and cause eggs to mature and be released.

* Estrogen and progesterone are produced by the ovaries and prepare the lining of the uterus to nourish a fertilized egg.

* Human chorionic gonadoratropin ( Hcg) is produced by cells that eventually form the placenta once the fertilized egg has developed and attached to the uterine wall.

Days 1-5 of the menstrual cycle are called menstruation, during which the endometrium (lining of the uterus) breaks down and is shed through the vagina during your monthly menstrual period. This shedding is triggered by a drop in the levels of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which occurs when an egg is not fertilized.

The drop in estrogen and progesterone signals the pituitary to send a surge of the hormone FSH to the ovaries. During days 1-13 of the menstrual cycle, FSH stimulates follicles in the ovaries to produce oestrogen. Follicles are structures that produce the egg inside the ovary. Each month one follicle is the source of the egg for that cycle. The oestrogen made by the follicle causes the endometium to begin to thicken and develop. Cervical mucus becomes thinner and clearer during this phase.